In U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,330, assigned to the assignee hereof, there has been disclosed a coin operated vending machine having a door-operated mechanism for returning rejected coins. Such machines have commonly been employed to vend newspapers on street corners, etc. In many instances, machines are so located that they are subject to the elements to such an extend that the operation of the machine might be affected. For example, as shown in the above-cited patent, it is preferred that the coin mechanism be mounted on an angle relative to a vertical plane so that, if the wrong value of coins or some other foreign matter is inserted into the machine through a coin slot, the chutes will be opened when a consumer attempts to open the product access door of the machine. As the chutes are opened, the coins and other matter is rejected and returned to the consumer through a coin return opening. In other words, an inclination of the coin sorting and control mechanism is desired so that the rejected material travels a predetermined path toward the coin return, rather than into a coin storage device within the housing.
Since the mechanism and its housing are mounted on an incline, it is possible for rain water or other moisture to enter into the mechanism housing through the coin slot. Also, it is possible that, during rainy weather, consumers will insert coins which are wet through the slot in order to obtain a newspaper or other product being vended. Such moisture in the mechanism has been found to act between the mechanism and the coin to generate a fluid surface tension which can foul the mechanism by allowing the coins to "stick" in place in various locations in the mechanism. Consequently, the machine will not open when the consumer pulls on the door handle and his coins are not returned to him through the coin return system.
When this occurs, it has been found that the normal human reaction is one of frustration which is often released by an angry attack on the object of his frustration--the machine. Such an attack may severely damage or destroy the machine.
Consequently, it has been found desirable to provide a machine in which all coins either actuate the machine or are rejected, regardless of the existence of moisture in the mechanism. In other words, any moisture in the machine should be prevented from generating sufficient surface tension as to inhibit movement of the coins in the mechanism.